When it’s as windy as it was today, your senses are heightened. All the colors seem a little brighter, especially the leaves that are blowing straight into your face. Today my skin felt a little more sensitive to everything, which is saying something for a grizzled old codger such as myself. But it was windy.

The weather was a little on the schizophrenic side today anyway. It was so cold early this morning that while I was still in bed I heard the furnace come on. Now, I haven’t reset the thermostat since I turned it way, way down months ago when I knew winter was over. The heat hasn’t been on since at least April, so I was shocked to hear the whoosh from the vent over my head. Shocked and a bit dismayed, because it stirred up more than a little dust after all this time.

Then came the wind, but it wasn’t a cold Arctic wind that cuts through you. It wasn’t exactly Santa Ana warm, but the air never felt cold, even when the gusts were blowing straight at me as I walked to the post office this morning. By this afternoon I had the door open next to me as I worked, so I could feel the fresh air. That was after the wind stopped. Otherwise, you know, papers blow all over the place.

And then tonight it got cold again, but that’s part of the season. We can have the warmest of days in October, but at night it cools down quickly, as soon as the sun sets. Schizophrenic weather.

Naturally, the wind knocked my power out for an hour and a half this afternoon. I should have been expecting it, and would have if I’d thought that far ahead. I was in the middle of making a copy on my new printer at the time, so I was a little worried about that. It all died at two o’clock, so I grabbed my latest read and curled up in the recliner. What else was I supposed to do?

At three thirty everything roared back to life and I went back to work as if I had planned the break myself. And all the electronic devices, including the new printer, were fine, although it did take me the usual amount of time and consternation to reset all the clocks.